Here’s a summary of what’s been going on. Keep watching as we have been promised some more photos of the week which will be posted when they arrive.
Results: 1st weekend, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 2nd Weekend
Final Weekend
Saturday morning started with a gentle Southerly breeze, but by the time the racing was due to start it had faded and changed direction several times. After delaying the first race until 1pm, things looked promising with a strengthening Southerly coming down the lake. Within minutes of setting a line, the direction had changed 180º but with a hint of the sea breeze coming in. The race did get underway, but the variable conditions proved challenging (or could that be opportunist?). The second race was shortened early for the leaders, but the other fleets were becalmed and some took more than 1½ hours to finish.
On Sunday morning campers woke up to find a cordoned off crime scene at the base of the flagpole. Were there any clues to this dastardly deed? Did the nearby car tell a tale? Do the flags on the flagpole spell out the names of the culprits? Who could fit into the outline chalked on the floor? Had someone fallen from the yardarm, or had they just been asleep on the floor?
Who knows? It is all part of the antics which are typical of the usual late night hijinx following final disco.
However, the forecast winds arrived, it was sunny and dry, but the anticipated exciting finish to the weeks sailing turned to frustration for the OD when it proved to be too windy to tempt out many sailors. Despite waiting a while for the wind to abate, the heavy gusts continued to run through and the racing was cancelled. The saving grace of the day was that the warm drying airs meant everyone got their tents and awnings packed away dry!
Jose thanked all those involved in making the week so successful, not least of all the visitors for coming.
Friday
With a flat calm at 7am on a sunny Friday morning, was there going to be much chance of catching up on that elusive Nairn Pursuit which had been rescheduled for 10am? Well the wind came in, changed direction, disappeared, reappeared……..
The OD did go out to set a line, the wind continued to change, so the start line was moved, the wind changed again (Get the picture?). Finally the wind settled down from the South, but the OD opted to leave the course as set, so it resulted in a reaching start for the Nairn Pursuit. This in itself did not give any fleet any particular advantage, but when Sale Fell shadowed the ‘windward’ mark later in the race, there was a raft of boats gaining great advantage. Back in the wind, everything was fine, but into the final 20 minutes of the race and the sea breeze started to take over, but not before becalming the fleet for 15 minutes! The Mirror managed to hold the lead and took 1st and 2nd position overall.
The wind held for the John Peel Tankard and, of course, the junior/ladies/60+ race and there was some enjoyable and excellent sailing.
On to the penultimate prize giving of the weekend, and Bridget was giving out a mass of glassware as shown opposite (and that was only for two days racing)
It was all topped up with additional prizes for the junior/ladies/60+ races from race sponsors, and on site chandlers, Storrar Marine.
The evening entertainment was from no less than Tom Jones. A couple of lads even gave their own rendition of The Full Monty! What a way to go into the final weekend’s sailing.
Thursday
Sun and wind – what more could we wish for. The Southerly breeze meant there was an ideal opportunity to send the fleet to the bottom end of the lake for the second time in a week.
Over lunch time the wind eased, and it seemed as if the sea breeze was coming in. The course was set for the afternoon pursuit and the mirrors had set off when the wind started to fill in from the South again, so the race was abandoned and restarted. The wind strengthened throughout the race, and there was some excellent reaches to power the skiffs and International 14 to the front of the fleet. Overall, six of the eight fleets finished in the first ten.
Jason the Juggling Jester was the star turn for the children’s party, and despite some juggling with knives, the kids all survived!
Wednesday
The overnight rain continued into the morning, and the wind was conspicuous by its absence. That wasn’t going to put club Trustee Jak Jones off – he’d decided to come out of retirement to clean up on the Wednesday series – he had arranged to team up with his former crew Alan Smith, and sail his former Flying 15. He came togged up in shirt and shorts (believing a change of clothes would not be necessary), the boat was rigged and they went out for a warm up sail. But the rain came back in vengeance, and the sail turned into a drift. Co-Trustee and official starter Herb Telford spread the word about Jak’s lack of spare clothes and suggested that he should not be helped out. But when Jak came ashore looking like a drowned rat, who was the first to become a turncoat – none other than Herb himself!
As for sailing, the rain finally eased, the wind filled in and the OD went for a 1430 start. With 10secs to go, a postponement was signalled due to the wind fading. It was another 45 mins before the new wind ‘settled’ in and the racing got underway. But within an hour the wind faded again, and the three race series was reduced to a single race!
A prizegiving followed, with the rain having passed through, the barbeque smoke started to rise from the campsite again, and then it was time for a disco. What will be the reports tomorrow?
Tuesday
A mist ridden start to the day kept winds at drifter proportions, so the OD postponed the start until early afternoon. With plenty of time on their hands, many decided to get those little jobs out of the way. Adrian was coerced into clearing a wasps nest with petrol, and promptly had to go and refill the petrol stocks (but we won’t mention that!). Bridget, not used to caravan life, decided to hoover the carpets until Ginge pointed out that there was no electric supply available. As for me, I daren’t look at the next phone bill having connected to the internet to sort out the webcam, but left it running on a pay as you go tariff for longer than anticipated.
The winds looked promising for a while and the fleets got a start after 2pm. The winds held for a while but eased over time resulting in some boats having to drift to the finish after more than two hours racing. The Nairn Pursuit race was postponed until later in the week.
A Hog Roast (named Maggie Trotter by some locals!) was been on the spit all afternoon ready in time for the evening meal, then followed by a film night. Heavy rain dampened spirits somewhat, until a late night party was arranged in the drying tent – some thought there had been an impromptu rave.
Monday
The overnight wind has eased, the sun is shining, and that pigeon was seen early morning checking out the results board in the clubhouse and of course left a deposit!
There are some very caring women at Bass, firstly there was Rhonwen (Deputy Sailing Secretary) and then Bridget, both of whom wished to save my blushes (or not shock me as they put it) by making sure I didn’t look while they were changing! They obviously were uncertain as to where the roving webcam was (or whether I had it on my person!).
The wind held from the South for the start of the afternoon race, which was to take all but the slower the fleets to the bottom of the lake, but typically it eased as the race went on and sailors were not all fully awarded for their hard beat with exciting spinnaker legs.
Hulio Geordio was the star turn for the evening, and he had numerous requests for encores until the early hours. That could be the reason for his neighbour staying up so late before having to go to work (and seemingly struggling to stay awake at an afternoon seminar). However, Hulio did have some competition from the late night light show that lit up the hills as thunder boomed around the valleys.
First Weekend
After a damp evening on Thursday, Friday’s weather was an ideal start for those early birds that came down to set up camp early. By Friday evening the site was a myriad of tents and caravans. The warm weather continued into the evening and there were many barbeques across the campsite.
Friday proved to be a busy day for vice-commodore Adrian who had to deal with wasps nests and blocked loos – what else would the week have in store for him?
An overcast start on Saturday, the visitors continued to arrive and by the time racing started (with more than 100 boats) there was bright sunshine and a light westerly breeze, which filled in a little as the afternoon went on. Although it didn’t seem like capsizing conditions, Steve Hunt continued with his antics from last week, and tipped his RS400 in again with an energetic roll gybe.
Quote of the day – ‘Did you see that port end start by Simon Longstaff? – He cleared the fleet by 100yds’ (quote by Simon Longstaff!!)
The Commodore’s reception was followed by a disco that continued into the early hours.
On Sunday morning, the sun shone and filled in from the South – what more could anyone ask for? Between races the wind faded but came back even stronger for the second and final race of the series, which in many fleets was to be the decider for the series trophy.
Jose presented the prizes, (and even stayed in shot for some photos). The ever popular quiz night followed resulting in victory for the Tarners.
The location of the webcam continues to cause intrigue (obviously these people haven’t been checking out the website!), to such an extent that Bridget was convinced a stuffed pigeon on the club house was one of the alternative webcams. This led to her dancing and flashing at the pigeon, bombarding it with smarties, and being threatened with a broomstick (no suggestion as to who it could have belonged to) only for her to realise it was real when it flew away! It could well be a special pigeon as, having taken flight, the best wind of the weekend came in from the South and continued through the night.
Adrian continued to parade around in his rubber gloves, complete with drain rods, and tried to clear a blockage in the septic tank.
This site was last updated on 22 August, 2004